SUNBURY - An informant, who played a key role in the conviction of a Shamokin area man charged with trafficking cocaine, was scheduled to be sentenced Monday morning on his own criminal charges, but the legal proceeding had to be continued until Friday due to a lack of communication involving a continuance request.
Robert Santore, 49, of Ranshaw, who previously pleaded guilty to two counts of manufacturing with intent to deliver a controlled substance filed by Shamokin Cpl. Bryan Primerano, and two counts of criminal conspiracy filed by Coal Township Detective Jeff Brennan, will now be sentenced at 9:15 a.m. Friday by Northumberland County President Judge Robert B. Sacavage.
The defendant was scheduled for sentencing Monday morning, but a continuance request was submitted to the court administrator's office by Santore's attorney, Peter Campana, of Williamsport, on April 25. The continuance was denied by Sacavage on Thursday, but Santore reportedly assumed the continuance had been granted and failed to appear in court Monday morning. Campana and Northumberland County Assistant District Attorney Michael Toomey were present for the scheduled sentencing.
Toomey arranged a plea agreement for Santore in exchange for his testimony in the trial of Cornell B. Delvalle, 45, of Coal Township, and his 35-year-old wife, Diane (Reichwein) Delvalle, who were convicted Jan. 20 by an all-female jury of multiple drug-related offenses filed by Brennan.
On March 26, Sacavage sentenced Cornell Delvalle to 15 1/4 to 35 years in state prison and ordered him to pay approximately $1,000 in fines plus an assortment of costs.
Mrs. Delvalle, who is free on $80,000 bail, is scheduled to be sentenced by Sacavage on May 14. She is represented by Attorney Michael Morrone of Williamsport.